Computer and computing device usage increases each year. Much of the increase in usage is spurred by internetworking of devices such as by using the Internet. With each new user and/or site coming online, the amount of information that is stored and accessible by computer systems around the world further increases. At the same time, the number, variation, and sophistication of computer users escalates, and user expectations also rise, regarding the functionality of tools, interfaces, and the user experience.
The Internet and other networks interconnect computers and computing devices to allow for transport of data over network connections. Computers and computing devices are often organized into client-server relationships. One type of server is a web server and an example of a client is a web client such as a personal computer running a web browser program. Some web servers provide portal services that collect information from various sources and upon request generate a portal page for the web client. An example of such a portal page is at the web site www.yahoo.com provided by Yahoo Inc. This web site also has facilities that support personalized pages. See, for example, my.yahoo.com.
Web servers typically service requests from web clients, by using a system of protocols. In response to requests received, the web server returns data responses. The hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP) is an example of a conventionally used protocol. One or more web clients issue requests directed at a particular web server address for a page represented by a universal resource locator (URL) in the request. A server responsive to the particular address responds with data such as a web page that is displayed, or with another type of data set.
Conventional technology used for the web has limitations. Presently, the web client typically employs a browser application that is capable of presenting to a user all or part of a web page in a user interface. The browser application further accepts user input to interact with the web page and/or web site. Web browsers are commonly used by users to navigate within a single web page and across several web pages. Web browsers often provide functionality in addition to presenting web pages and accepting user input related to web pages. For example, web pages often include executable program elements that are executed by a web browser upon receipt of a web page. These elements include a number of variations of application program interfaces (API).
Browser applications provide an interface for users to receive and/or interact with content via the Internet or the web. A browser application generally resides on a user's computer. The browser application includes a window for displaying content retrieved from web sites via the web or Internet. The browser application may also include one or more application toolbars. Web browsers provide information in the form of a web page, which is produced by interpreting a text document encoded by using hyper text markup language (HTML). Modern web page user interfaces typically employ sophisticated application programming interfaces, variations of JAVA, Flash, and other scripts and means of performing increasingly complex functions for a user and a user interface.
As mentioned above, current application and/or interface technologies have certain limitations. Moreover, despite the availability of vast amounts of information from numerous sources, not all information on the Internet, or even regarding a single topic, is relevant, useful, and/or meaningful to every user, all the time. When users are barraged with too much information, too many choices, irrelevant and/or disorganized content, humans and machine systems become overloaded, thereby diminishing the usefulness of otherwise powerful information tools.